Ironing press

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an ironing press comprising buck means having a convex curvature and head means having a concave curvature, and a pressure mechanism for pressing said means together, one of said means being bendable and of a flatter curvature than the other, and the other of said means being rigid.

[4 1 Feb. 13, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [54]IRONING PRESS [75] Inventor: Wolfgang l-lentschel, 8000 Munich n s u 3Or. FB 7 72 99 ll 61 1 01 0 37 84 31 G A y n a T ll G n m 9 4 D e n g .1S S A 1 3 7 .l

Ger- 1,538,077 5/ 1925 Zuruk-Zurinsky..

Friedrichshafen/Bodensee,

many

Schlemon.

[22] Filed: Nov. 4, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 86,936

Related Application Data Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Continuationof Ser. No. 867,318, Oct. 17, 1969, Assistant Examiner-G. V. Larkinabandoned. Attorney-James E. Bryan ABSTRACT [30] Foreign ApplicationPriority Data Nov. 2, 1968 Germany.....................P 18 06 776.0This invention relates to an ironing press comprising buck means havinga convex curvature and head 100/295 means having a concave curvature,and a pressure mechanism for pressing said means together, one of saidmeans being bendable and of a flatter curvature Field of Search.

2. 7 223/5 0 than the other, and the other of said means being rigid.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 13 I975 INVENTQR WOLFGANGHENTSCHEL F TORNEYS IRONING PRESS This application is a continuation ofSer. No. 867,3 l8, tiled Oct. 17,1969, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to an ironing press which comprises a buck, ahead having a concave curvature, and a pressure mechanism which pressesboth pressure parts against each other. 1

In ironing apparatuses of the present type which have been heretoforeknown, the head, which is generally pivotally mounted, has a concavecurvature while the coordinated buck has a curvature which matches thatof the head. An adjustment of any possibly existing inaccuracies at thecurved plates or dissimilar levels of the material to be ironed, whichis positioned between the pressure parts, is intended to be compensatedfor by means of elastic linings or the like. This is possible, however,only to an insufficient degree since particularly the elastic liningslose their elasticity in the course of time and since, in addition,these linings are not adapted to bring about an adjustment of the twopressure parts on the one hand, and between these parts with respect tothe material to be ironed, on the other hand.

The present invention provides an ironing apparatus in which the twopressure parts and ironing plates which enclose the material to beironed between them are adapted to adjust to each other with respect totheir curvatures and in which uniform or at least approximately uniformbearing or contact pressure forces are effected at each point on theironing surfaces. The present invention also avoids an unintentionalformation of wrinkles during the ironing operation without the need forexercising excessive care when introducing the material to be ironedinto the press.

In the present invention, the buck and the ironing surface thereof has aflatter curvature than the head and the buck, and the ironing surface ofthe latter is adapted to be elastically deformed, i.e., it is bendable.

A further feature of the present invention resides in that at least oneof the two pressure parts is constructed as a carrier having the samerigidity or strength and the action or application of the bearing orcontact pressure force being produced by the pressure mechanism occursin the plane of symmetry of the carrier.

An ironing press constructed with the features indicated hereinaboveaffords the essential advantages of a faultless adaptation or adjustmentof the buck to the head, of a uniform distribution of pressure over theentire ironing surface, and of an adaptation or adjustment of thepressure parts to the material to be ironed. Moreover, as a result ofthe shape of the curvature of the buck and the head adjusting to eachother under load, a relative gliding motion extending in both directionsof curvature is produced between the ironing surfaces and, hence, theeffect of stretching of the material to be ironed is achieved. Bystretching the material to be ironed, flawless ironing results can beobtained and any undesirable formation of wrinkles which may be presentwhen the material to be ironed is introduced can be effectivelycompensated for.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is a view in elevation, partially incross-section, of an ironing press according to the present invention,and

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the buck.

Reference numeral 1 identifies the upper part and reference numeral 2represents the lower part of the ironing press. The lower part 2receives the buck 3 and the upper part 1 receives the head 4. The buck 3and the head 4 are provided with ironing plates 3' and 4, respectively,which enclose between each other the material to be ironed. The upperpart 1 consists of a clamping bracket 5 which carries the head 4 andthis clamping bracket 5 is pivotally connected by means of a bearing 6to the lower part 2. The pivotal upper part 1 comprising the head 4 maybe locked in the closed position thereof by means of a locking device,not shown, the latter being actuated by means of switching or contactmembers, also not shown. Accommodated within the lower part 2, which isprovided with a boxlike shape, is a pressure mechanism 1 l which actsupon the buck 3, which latter is vertically and movably guided at thelower part 2 while the upper part 1 houses a heating device, not shown.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure mechanism 11 for the buck 3consists of a drive motor 13, a reduction gear 14, and a pressurespindle 15. Further, piston portions, not shown, which may be threadedupon the spindle 15 are guided within the cylinder housing 16 and act,by means of a hydraulic medium present within the cylinder housing 16,upon a pressure piston rod 17. Inserted between the pressure piston rod17 and the buck 3 is a pressure-limiting device 21 which consists of twoparts 21 and 21" being relatively displaceable with respect to eachother against the action of a set of cup springs, one of these partsbeing supported against the buck 3 and the other being supported againstthe pressure piston rod 17. For a preset amount of the relative path ofboth parts, a switching lever 26 is actuated due to the relativemovement and acts, with the switching surface thereof, upon adisconnecting member or switch 27 by means of which latter the drivemotor 13 is caused to stop. When the buck 3 travels back to its startingposition following a polarity reversal of the drive motor 13, a finaldisconnecting member or switch 28 is actuated by means of the lever 26.The pressure-limiting device 21 is connected to the buck 3 by means of auniversal joint 30 and 31. Also present are compression springs 32 and33, respectively, which maintain the buck, in the unloaded conditionthereof, in a position approximately parallel to the head 4.

The buck 3 consists of the ironing plate 3' which is reinforced with twolongitudinal ribs 37 and transverse ribs 36, the ribs preferablyextending outwardly in a tapered configuration. In the illustratedembodiment, the ironing plate 3' of the buck 3 is constructed so as tobe bendable for example, theplate 3' could be constructed of any type ofwell known resilient material. Instead of the ironing plate 3', however,the ironing plate 4' of the head 4 also may be constructed in thismanner. The ribs then are so dimensioned that the ironing plate 3' is tobe assumed as the carrier having the same bending strength in all of itscross-sections so that consequently the same bearing or contact pressurewill be produced when the ironing plate 3' of the buck 3 comes to restagainst the ironing plate 4' of the head 4. Furthermore, the ironingplate 3 has an outwardly curved convex configuration over the entiresurface thereof. The ironing plate 4' of the head 4 has a concavecurvature, as compared to the buck 3, and the curvature of the buck 3 isflatter than that of the ironing plate 4' of the head 4. The head 4 isfurther constructed so as to be rigid, i.e., not bendable, by means of abox-shaped frame 35. The application of force of the pressure mechanism11 takes place in this case in the center of the buck 3 through whichalso extends the plane of symmetry EE of the buck. Instead of a singletransmission of force, several pressure bearing points extending in theplane of symmetry E-E also may be provided.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: in the neutral position ofthe buck 3, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the material to be ironed isplaced upon the buck 3 and the upper part 1 with the head 4 brought intothe closing position thereof. By actuating a switch, the drive motor 13is started and the compressive force or pressure is transmitted to thepressure piston rod 17 by means of the hydraulic medium, transmissiongear 14, and the spindle 15, as well as the pistons within the cylinderhousing 16. The piston rod 17 moves the buck 3 in the direction towardthe head 4. Due to the different curvatures of the buck 3 and the head4, the outer ends of the head will first contact the surface of thebuck. In the course of the continuing contact pressure movement of thebuck 3, the curvature of the latter will progressively adjust to thecurvature of the head 4. At the time of this adjusting movement, agliding motion occurs between the outer ends of ironing plate 4' of thehead 4 and the surface of ironing plate 3' of the buck 3, which glidingmotion is effective in the direction of the curvature of both parts.This gliding movement is also transmitted to the material to be ironedwhich has been introduced between the pressure parts.

This gliding motion between the head 4 and the buck 3 has the effectthat the material to be ironed is stretched out smoothly. When thepreset contact pressure has been attained, the pressure-limiting device21 turns off the drive motor 13 by means of the lever 26 and the switch27. By means of a polarity reversal of the drive motor 13, uponcompletion of the ironing operation, a return travel of the buck 3 intothe starting position thereof is effected. When the starting positionhas been attained, the drive motor 13 is turned off by means of thelever 26 and the disconnecting member or switch 28.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modificationsmay be made within the scope of the present invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all suchmodifications.

What is claimed is:

1. An ironing press comprising buck means having a convex curvature andhead means having a concave curvature throughout their coactingsurfaces, one of said means having its coacting surface of a flattercurvature than the other, and a pressure mechanism for pressing saidmeans together, one of said means being of resilient material, and theother of said means being rigid, to produce a relative gliding motionbetween the ironing surfaces of the buck and head means to stretch thematerial being ironed.

2. An ironing press according to claim 1 in which the buck means is ofresilient material and is of a flatter curvature than the head means.

3. An ironing press according to claim 1 in which at least one of saidmeans is constructed as a carrier having uniform rigidity and includingmeans whereby the force produced by the pressure mechanism is effectivein a longitudinal plane which vertically bisects the carrier.

4. An ironing press according to claim 1 including a universal jointthrough which the force generated by the pressure mechanism istransmitted.

1. An ironing press comprising buck means having a convex curvature andhead means having a concave curvature throughout their coactingsurfaces, one of said means having its coacting surface of a flattercurvature than the other, and a pressure mechanism for pressing saidmeans together, one of said means being of resilient material, and theother of said means being rigid, to produce a relative gliding motionbetween the ironing surfaces of the buck and head means to stretch thematerial being ironed.
 1. An ironing press comprising buck means havinga convex curvature and head means having a concave curvature throughouttheir coacting surfaces, one of said means having its coacting surfaceof a flatter curvature than the other, and a pressure mechanism forpressing said means together, one of said means being of resilientmaterial, and the other of said means being rigid, to produce a relativegliding motion between the ironing surfaces of the buck and head meansto stretch the material being ironed.
 2. An ironing press according toclaim 1 in which the buck means is of resilient material and is of aflatter curvature than the head means.
 3. An ironing press according toclaim 1 in which at least one of said means is constructed as a carrierhaving uniform rigidity and including means whereby the force producedby the pressure mechanism is effective in a longitudinal plane whichvertically bisects the carrier.